This is a discussion on What to do. What to do. within the Comparison: WRX vs World forums, part of the Community - Meet other Enthusiasts category; iiiiight so i bought a wrx four days ago and I'm obviously in love. But the mod bug has already ...

What to do. What to do.

iiiiight so i bought a wrx four days ago and I'm obviously in love. But the mod bug has already kicked in hard. I was wondering if I should just keep it stock till my warranty runs out, or go ahead and mod it and risk it messing up and having to foot the bill. Also I was wondering if there were any mods that were really worth doing, as far as preformance, without voiding my warranty. Thanks for the help.

I'd avoid power mods if you don't have a backup fund for an engine/tranny rebuild.

Until then, there are certainly some mods you can do that are a bit more 'warranty friendly'. Driveline mods are pretty nice - things like a shorter shifter and new bushings to go with it. Aesthetics - such as mud flaps if it's your cup of tea. The sound system in these cars leaves something to be desired as well. Some light suspension work such as a set of sway bars and end links probably wouldn't cause too many issues either.

The Cobb access port is a common power mod. I'll warn you upfront, there are cases of people who use it and still have denied warranty claims. If you buy one and marry it up, don't assume you will get a replacement engine if it blows for whatever reason.

Originally Posted by Trainrex

He was throwing balloons filled with sulfuric acid and shrapnel at the swat team. They finally had to take him down with rubber bullets.

I modded my car within a few weeks of purchase. Having said that, I also ate the price of an engine rebuild when it ate a ring land -- a common issue on bone stock cars of the time but my mods would have made any warranty claim impossible. The stock turbo died too, another common problem on the Legacy but not really the WRX, and I also had to pay for its replacement because of the mods that were present.

Don't try to play the other side of the coin either. Many people want to mod like crazy but as soon as something breaks they put it all back to stock and try to claim it under warranty. We all end up paying for that in the long run. If you play, ya gotta pay. If you can't do this or don't want to do this, drive the car stock and enjoy.

Why? Because I use authentic parts, keep all receipts, and can document that I have done so. Every time I needed something done under warranty, I showed up with the binder of receipts and was simply told "no problem." I'd then drive off in the loaner car and that would be that.

Use authentic parts. Follow the schedule. Keep receipts. Enter agreements, keep your side, and expect the other side to be followed by the other party.

Using imitation parts and "tuning" or "modifying" the car is a reasonable basis for denying warranty work though, I agree.

Once in a while on threads like this someone will bring up the law (constitutional scholars are very common on car forums). However, expecting the Magnusson-Moss act or whatever legislation supported by imitation parts suppliers to help isn't reasonable or realistic because nobody has ever explained to me or anyone I know who is going to fix the car while the dispute is in progress.

Sometimes legitimate claims run into problems. That's very telling though - if it's the dealer, never buy from them again and tell everyone you can. If it's the maker, never buy the marque again, and also tell everyone you know.

I think a lot of this comes down to the dealership you work with. Feel them out. I get all of my OEM work and even some aftermarket modifications done at the dealership. They are awesome to work with. Also, remember that you cannot "void your warranty" by modifying your car. I really hate hearing that phrase tossed around inaccurately so much. They do however have the right to deny warranty coverage for any problem that can be directly attributed to a modification you made using other than "Subaru genuine parts" (i.e. SPT). For example, they cannot deny warranty coverage of your defective headlights or head unit just because you're running a stage 2 tune. One has nothing to do with the other.

My recommendation: If stock isn't cutting it, safely and conservatively modify your car to make it more enjoyable for you.

Why? Because I use authentic parts, keep all receipts, and can document that I have done so. Every time I needed something done under warranty, I showed up with the binder of receipts and was simply told "no problem." I'd then drive off in the loaner car and that would be that.

Use authentic parts. Follow the schedule. Keep receipts. Enter agreements, keep your side, and expect the other side to be followed by the other party.

Using imitation parts and "tuning" or "modifying" the car is a reasonable basis for denying warranty work though, I agree.

Once in a while on threads like this someone will bring up the law (constitutional scholars are very common on car forums). However, expecting the Magnusson-Moss act or whatever legislation supported by imitation parts suppliers to help isn't reasonable or realistic because nobody has ever explained to me or anyone I know who is going to fix the car while the dispute is in progress.

Sometimes legitimate claims run into problems. That's very telling though - if it's the dealer, never buy from them again and tell everyone you can. If it's the maker, never buy the marque again, and also tell everyone you know.

I should rephrase...

Any dealership could deny you especially with you drive a sports car, stock or not. I've seen it happen with different friends who are stock, who are using manufacturer performance parts etc. Every dealership is independently owned so they operate different and managed differently. One dealer may have a fit about an intake on the car another may not. If your transmission goes on you and you have a cat-back on your car...they could say it was due to abuse. Every situation is different. I've also seen someone who is using genuine manufacturer parts get fought for warranty claims.

Ask the parts department of they sell DPs, CAIs, and Accessports. Then ask the service department if they install aftermarket DPs and CAIs. These are good "feeler" questions. :-) If they bulk at it or try to lecture you about modifications, you may have "one of those" dealers.

Ask the parts department of they sell DPs, CAIs, and Accessports. Then ask the service department if they install aftermarket DPs and CAIs. These are good "feeler" questions. :-) If they bulk at it or try to lecture you about modifications, you may have "one of those" dealers.

The dealers that sell imitation parts are "one of those dealers" and the other dealers you refer to are actually the dealers to prefer.

The dealers that sell imitation parts -- and then presumably don't balk at providing warranty support -- are essentially following the old slogan "At XXX Inc, we rip off the other guy and pass the savings on to you!..." Those that sell imitation parts (and actually install them) knowing that the parts do not meet emissions standards are violating the law outright. A service department that installs imitation intake and exhaust components has more respect for immediate profit than for the law or likely for long-term customer satisfaction.

A catback is almost certainly legal (it is legal WRT emissions; the question is WRT sound levels). Assuming it is legal, I have no problem with it.

A more interesting question is whether SOA agrees with one of their dealers selling an imitation product. Dealers do sell imitation products routinely (fluids and other consumables come to mind). I don't know how aware SOA might be of this, or how much they care. However, selling imitation parts that are illegal (not just in the trademark or IP sense, but also WRT emissions, safety, etc.) and in parallel holding a vehicle dealer license that implies one cannot do so, all while performing warranty work under the auspices of being an official dealer for a marque is something I find at best questionable.

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